Stewie is diagnosed with ADHD and is prescribed Adderall, which Brian takes in aiding him to write a 2,000-page proposal to George R. R. Martin. Meanwhile, Peter and Quagmire compete to determine which of them gets to keep his new cooking show.
Tropes associated with this episode
- Adored by the Network: Invoked. The Network enjoyed Peter's antics so much that they gave him his own cooking show after Quagmire fired him from his.
- Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: Lois believes that Stewie has ADD and puts him on Adderall, which basically turns him into an Empty Shell.
- Balloon Belly: A more subtle example (for this show anyway), Peter decides to sabotage his chances in the cook-off by eating his entire entry. For the remainder of the scene, he looks fatter than usual.
- Continuity Nod: Brian still can't write.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Peter throws his chance to win for Quagmire to keep his show.
- Motor Mouth: Brian while he's medicated.
- Open the Iris: Stewie while he's medicated.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: George R. R. Martin gives one to Brian after he acts out his treatment to him, saying that he knows Brian took drugs and that while they made Brian write a lot, they didn't make him write good.
- Shout-Out:
- The episode title is a play on the 1973 Roberta Flack song "Killing Them Softly."
- Peter gets fired from the Food Network by Mr. Spacey, who was well-known for firing George Jetson (or at least threatening to) every chance he got.
- Stating the Simple Solution: After Peter and Quagmire go too far with their cooking show rivalry, they decide to get themselves fired by saying "the one word you can't say on national TV." Later on, while hanging out at the Drunken Clam with Joe and an angry Cleveland, the latter points out to Peter and Quagmire that the two of them could've just quit instead of getting themselves fired (and in such an offensive way at that).
- Supreme Chef: Quagmire. This is what prompted him to try out for the cooking show.
